Jessamine Co. school threat suspect talks from jail

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – Cody Ritchey, 18, and Tristan Kelly, 19, are behind bars, charged with terroristic threatening after a series of Snapchat posts suggested harm would come to students at school.

Ritchey talked to ABC 36 from jail.

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Ritchey says he realizes the impact these social media posts had on the Jessamine County community. He tells me he doesn’t see the humor in posts that threaten the lives of others, whether they’re meant to be jokes or not.

Ritchey says he isn’t the one that made the post. He says Kelly, who is a current student at one of the high schools, allegedly borrowed his phone and made the fake Snapchat account, without telling him.

It’s worth noting, that’s Ritchey’s version of the story and has not been verified by police.

“I thought it was that Danny Cross kid, so I accepted it and he said something about shooting up the school so I showed it to [Kelly] and he took a picture of it on his phone,” said Ritchey.

According to police, it turns out, Danny Cross had nothing to do with it. Ritchey tells ABC 36 it wasn’t until they saw the story on the news that Kelly supposedly admitted to Ritchey what he had done.

Still, Ritchey says he decided to stick by his friend and try to help him out, but it landed them both in jail.

We asked Ritchey if there was any real intent behind the posts. He says he doesn’t know if Kelly meant it as a joke or not.

“I don’t take that as a joke though,” said Ritchey. “I don’t take it as a joke. I know about the kids in Florida. I know about the kids in Benton. I would never do that to somebody.”

Ritchey says he apologizes to the Jessamine County community and anyone who was in fear because of the posts. That’s something he says he hopes Kelly will do as well.